Championing STEM talent through Malaysia Techlympics 2026

This year's MT2026 offers 90 competitions across 182 STI modules, spanning fields such as renewable energy, drones, robotics, engineering, forensics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, cloud computing, biotechnology and green technology.

SCIENCE is closer to our daily lives than we may think and Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang wants the public to experience it firsthand at the grand finale of Malaysia Techlympics 2026 (MT2026).

Held alongside National Science Week at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) on Nov 15 and 16, MT2026 is open to the public, with free entry for all.

It is jointly organised by Mosti, in collaboration with the Education Ministry, State Education Departments, government agencies, industry partners and state governments.

The two-day event will bring together the showcase of MT2026 and National Science Week, Mosti’s broader public outreach effort featuring hands-on exhibits from agencies including the National Science Centre and the National Planetarium.

Now in its fifth year, MT2026 is the ministry’s flagship platform for nurturing science, technology and innovation (STI) talent among youths aged six to 30.

Chang described what sets National Science Week apart from other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives.

"The response has been extraordinary and it grows every year. What makes it different is that under Mosti, we have many agencies – the National Science Centre, the National Planetarium, and various other science-related bodies. All of them showcase their technology and give the public exposure to it," he said during an exclusive live interview with Suria FM on Sept 23.

Chang: ‘That's one of the goals we want to achieve – for our youth to know what jobs are out there that might suit them and their interests.’ — GLENN GUAN/The Star.

"At the same time, we take a hands-on approach, giving children the chance to test the equipment themselves, to build their interest – and that's also how we uncover talent.

“If they never get the chance to try, how would we ever know they have a gift for it?"

He added that industry players are also invited to exhibit, giving young visitors a first-hand look at how science is applied in the real world – exposure he hopes will shape their career choices later in life.

"This might spark a child's interest in a particular industry and by the time they're older and graduate, perhaps they'll go into that field," he said.

"That's one of the goals we want to achieve – for our youth to know what jobs are out there that might suit them and their interests."

For those wondering what Techlympics actually involves, Chang described it as a “Technology Olympics”.

He noted the competition is open to everyone, from primary schoolchildren to young adults, spanning categories and competitions involving drones, robotics, coding, chemistry, biology and even a CSI-style forensics game.

Participants are given training ahead of each contest and in the drone and robotics categories, for instance, participants build their own machines with guidance before competing.

Chang: ‘That's one of the goals we want to achieve – for our youth to know what jobs are out there that might suit them and their interests.’ — GLENN GUAN/The Star.Zonal qualifiers were held nationwide between July and September, drawing thousands of student participants all vying for a place at the November finale.

Asked for his most memorable Techlympics moment so far, Chang recalled a group of winners from a remote part of Sabah, who defied the odds to emerge as champions.

"I was genuinely surprised when I heard that one of our winners came from Pulau Banggi, deep in rural Sabah. They won the drone competition – but before joining, they had never even touched or seen a drone," he said.

"But after a few weeks of teaching and guiding them, they became Techlympics champions. That, to me, was truly extraordinary. This showed that whether you're from the city, the interior or a rural area, everyone has the capabilities to excel in STEM, if given the chance."

Reflecting on what he hopes young Malaysians take away from the initiative, Chang said that his hope isn't for every child to pursue a career in science, but for all of them to carry a spirit of curiosity, regardless of the path they choose.

"I hope that no matter what stream our children go into, they carry exposure and curiosity – that's a very important attitude. With curiosity, we can keep learning and that learning never stops," he said.

"Even if you don't go into science, say you work in accounting – you'll still rely on technology, software, hardware, smartphones, all connected to science in everyday life. So don't think that just because you're not in a science stream, you don't need to learn these things."

A key addition this year is AiRIMAU, a smart learning platform introducing participants to agentic AI through interactive, hands-on learning.

Zonal qualifiers were held nationwide between July and September, drawing thousands of student participants all vying for a place at the November finale.

The programme also places strong emphasis on inclusivity, with outreach to rural schools and continued participation from students under the Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI).

Members of the public can find out more or register for the free MAEPS Serdang event via www.techlympics.my .

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TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENOPAUSE

今年的 MT2026 提供了 182 个 STI 模块的 90 项竞赛，涵盖可再生能源、无人机、机器人、工程、法医、3D 打印、人工智能 (AI)、网络安全、云计算、生物技术和绿色技术等领域。

科学与我们的日常生活比我们想象的更接近，科技创新部长拿督张立康希望公众在2026年马来西亚科技奥林匹克运动会（MT2026）总决赛上亲身体验这一点。

MT2026将于11月15日和16日在马来西亚沙登农业博览园（MAEPS）与全国科学周同期举行，面向公众开放，所有人均可免费入场。

该活动由Mosti与教育部、各州教育部门、政府机构、行业合作伙伴和州政府联合举办。

为期两天的活动将汇聚 MT2026 和国家科学周的展示，这是 Mosti 更广泛的公众宣传活动，其中包括来自国家科学中心和国家天文馆等机构的互动展览。

MT2026 已进入第五个年头，是该部培养 6 至 30 岁青年科学、技术和创新 (STI) 人才的旗舰平台。

张女士描述了国家科学周与其他科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 活动的不同之处。

“反响非常热烈，而且每年都在增长。不同之处在于，在莫斯蒂的领导下，我们拥有众多机构——国家科学中心、国家天文馆以及其他各种科学相关机构。所有这些机构都会展示他们的技术，并让公众有机会了解这些技术。”他在9月23日接受Suria FM独家直播采访时说道。

张：“这是我们想要实现的目标之一——让我们的年轻人了解有哪些工作可能适合他们和他们的兴趣。” — GLENN GUAN/《星报》

“与此同时，我们采取实践方法，让孩子们有机会亲自测试设备，培养他们的兴趣——这也是我们发现人才的方式。”

“如果他们从来没有机会尝试，我们又怎么知道他们在这方面有天赋呢？”

他还补充说，他们也邀请了业内人士参展，让年轻的参观者亲眼目睹科学在现实世界中的应用——他希望这种经历能够影响他们日后的职业选择。

他说：“这可能会激发孩子对某个特定行业的兴趣，等到他们长大毕业时，也许就会进入那个领域。”

“这是我们想要实现的目标之一——让我们的年轻人了解有哪些工作可能适合他们以及他们的兴趣。”

对于那些想知道科技奥运会究竟包含哪些内容的人，张将其描述为“科技奥运会”。

他指出，比赛面向所有人开放，从小学生到年轻人，比赛类别和比赛项目包括无人机、机器人、编程、化学、生物学，甚至还有类似 CSI 的法医游戏。

参赛者在每次比赛前都会接受培训，例如在无人机和机器人类别中，参赛者会在指导下组装自己的机器后再参加比赛。

张：“这是我们想要实现的目标之一——让我们的年轻人了解有哪些工作可能适合他们以及他们的兴趣。”——格伦·关/《星报》。区域资格赛于7月至9月在全国各地举行，吸引了数千名学生参加，他们都在争夺11月总决赛的席位。

当被问及迄今为止最难忘的科技奥运会时刻时，张回忆起一群来自沙巴偏远地区的获胜者，他们克服重重困难最终夺得冠军。

“当我听说我们的一位获奖者来自沙巴州偏远地区的邦宜岛时，我真的非常惊讶。他们赢得了无人机比赛——但在参赛之前，他们甚至从未接触过或见过无人机，”他说。

“但经过几周的教导和指导，他们就成为了科技奥林匹克竞赛的冠军。这对我来说真是太了不起了。这表明，无论你来自城市、内陆还是农村地区，只要有机会，每个人都有能力在STEM领域取得卓越成就。”

张先生在反思他希望马来西亚年轻人能从这项计划中获得什么时表示，他希望的不是每个孩子都从事科学事业，而是所有孩子都能保持好奇心，无论他们选择哪条道路。

“我希望无论孩子们将来选择哪个专业，都能保持开放的心态和求知欲——这是一种非常重要的态度。有了求知欲，我们就能不断学习，而学习永无止境。”他说道。

“即使你不从事科学领域，比如说从事会计工作——你仍然会在日常生活中依赖技术、软件、硬件、智能手机，所有这些都与科学息息相关。所以不要以为你不是理科生，就不需要学习这些东西。”

今年新增的一项重要内容是 AiRIMAU，这是一个智能学习平台，通过互动式实践学习向参与者介绍智能体人工智能。

7 月至 9 月期间，全国范围内举行了区域资格赛，吸引了数千名学生参赛，他们都渴望获得 11 月总决赛的参赛资格。

该计划还非常重视包容性，向农村学校提供援助，并让综合特殊教育计划 (PPKI) 下的学生继续参与。

公众可通过 www.techlympics.my 了解更多信息或注册参加免费的 MAEPS Serdang 活动。

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